Business process automation is a multi-billion-dollar industry where new services crop up every day under the “automation” heading. Nearly 20% of U.S. enterprises use some form of this automation, and almost all refer to it as AI, but that’s leading some to complain that they aren’t getting access to all the miracles promised by smarter services.

Unfortunately, the boom in offerings hasn’t always come with an equally large outpouring of explanations about the differences in AI, machine learning, process automation, and much more. Two big camps are fighting for business investment right now — AI and RPA — so I thought it might be good to share a little bit about what sets the two apart and how you can make a quick determination about what your business needs.

The good news is that discovering the difference will make it easier to set expectations and budgets when you go for the all-important executive buy-in for your next project.